19

CHAPTER 2

RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This research study cited books, articles and laws, which are relevant to the

present investigation. It is composed of related literature and studies, both local and

foreign, which contain facts and information on the research problem at hand. It also

provides explanations and logical connections between previous researches and the

present work.

RELATED LITERATURE

Foreign

Medical Technology is a profession concerned with providing information based

on the performance of analytical tests on human body substances to detect evidence

of or prevent disease or impairment and to promote and monitor good health.

(Clerc, 1992)

The first report on the exercise of Medical Technology has been traced back to

1500 BC by Jean M. Clerc as intestinal parasites such as taenia and ascaris were

mentioned in writings of this age. The description of red blood cells, protozoans and

bacteria given by Anton Van Leeuwenhoek in the early 1700s supports claims that

medical technology is one of the oldest allied health professions.

The practice of medicine would be impossible without the tests performed in the

clinical laboratory. Laboratory measurements and examinations provide the hard

scientific data used to deal with problems identified by the clinical evaluation and are an
 20

essential part of the information that contributes to the patient data base (Sanchez, et. al,

1991).

Medical technologists may work in all general areas within the laboratory or may

specialize in certain areas like Clinical Chemistry, which is concerned with the

determination of the presence and quantity of chemical substances in the blood) or in

Hematology, which deals with abnormal conditions and diseases affecting the blood.

Other areas of specialization include Microbiology, primarily concerned with detection of

bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other organisms in the body; or Parasitology which is

concerned with the identification of parasites in stool and blood samples; and

Immunohematology (blood banking), which is concerned with crossmatching and

transfusing blood products (Clerc, 1992). With these various areas of expertise, the

education of medical technologists extends beyond that of medical technicians such that

they not only perform laboratory procedures but are also able to correlate, interpret,

compare and analyze them (Semrad, 1975).

Clinical laboratory scientists or medical technologists, have several

responsibilities in the clinical laboratory. They may perform supervisory or teaching

roles or perform tests to detect disease and may also be involved in research. They are

able to recognize a problem, identify the cause (technical, instrumental or physiologic),

synthesize alternatives, and determine solutions. They are able to confirm and verify

results through an in-depth knowledge of techniques, principles, and instruments. They

correlate and interpret data based on knowledge of physiologic conditions affecting test

results, establish and monitor quality assurance programs, and establish and monitor
 21

safety protocols. Clinical laboratory scientists assume responsibility for and are held

accountable for accurate results (Clerc, 1992)

In the United States, certain requirements have to be met before one may be

considered eligible to practice the profession. A clinical laboratory scientist or medical

technologist generally has a baccalaureate degree in Medical Technology, clinical

laboratory sciences, or one of the sciences and one of the following: (1) Completion of

MT or CLS program accredited by the Committee on Allied Health Education and

Accreditation (CAHEA); Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) or American Society

of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) certification and three years of experience; (4) five years

of work-related experience (Clerc, 1992).

Local

History of Medical Technology in the Philippines

In the Philippines, Medical Technology practice was introduced by the 26th

Medical Laboratory of the 6th US Army. The US Army established the first clinical

laboratory in the Philippines at Quiricada Street, Sta. Cruz, and Manila where the Manila

Public Health Laboratory is presently located. The laboratory offered training programs

to high school graduates as early as February 1944 (Rabor, 1998).

The Philippine Union College (PUC) and Medical Sanitarium offered the first

four-year B.S. degree in Medical Technology. After two years (1956), PUC graduated its

first graduate, Dr. Jesse Umali, who is a successful OB-gynecologist.

In the school year 1957 – 1958, Dr. Antonio Gabriel and Dr. Gustavo Reyes of

the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santo Tomas offered Medical Technology as an

 22

elective to 4th and 5th year B.S. Pharmacy students. Because of the popularity of Medical

Technology among Pharmacy students, Rev. Fr. Lorenzo Rodriguez decided to offer it as

a course. It was in June 17, 1957 when a temporary permit was issued by the Department

of Education for first to third year students, then in June 1960, the permit for the

internship program was issued. The full recognition of the 4-year B.S. Medical

Technology course was given on June 14, 1961.

Many schools followed to offer the B.S. Medical Technology course. Today

according to the records of the Commission on Higher Education, there are

approximately 68 colleges and universities offering the course. The University of the

Philippines offers a similar course but the degree conferred is B.S. Public Health.

Postgraduate studies are offered B.S. Medical Technology graduates. The

University of Sto. Tomas Graduate School and the Philippine Women’s University are

offering MS in Medical Technology. In addition, the University of the Philippines is

offering a one-year, non-thesis degree in Master in Public Health.

The training of medical technologists has since then been clinical based. It

included theoretical aspects acquired in classrooms and applications of principles in the

hospital. With the increasing realization of the contribution of the nurse, the training was

deemed elevated as well.

The Philippine government, aware of its responsibility to regulate the practice of

professions as well as to promote the public health of the people, has created the Medical

Technology Board in 1969 when the Philippine Legislature passed on June 1969

Republic Act 5527 entitled “ The Medical Technology Act of 1969 “. Duties and

functions of board examiners are as follows:

 23

a) Administer the provisions of this Act;

b) Administer oath in connection with the administration of this Act;

c) Issue, suspend and revoke certificates of registration for the practice of

medical technology;

d) Look into condition affecting the practice of medical technology in the

Philippines and, whenever necessary, adopt such measures as may be deemed

proper for the maintenance of good ethics and standards in the practice of

medical technology;

e) Investigate such violations of this Act or of the rules and regulations issued

thereunder as may come to the knowledge of the Board and, for this purpose

issue subpoena and subpoena duces tecum to secure appearance of witnesses

and production of documents in connection with charges presented to the

Board; and

f) Draft such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the

provisions of this Act; provided, that the same may be issued only after the

approval of the Professional Regulation Commission (P.D. 223)

g) To prescribe the qualification and training of medical technologists as to

special fields of the profession and supervise their specialty examination

conducted by the professional organization of medical technologists

accredited by the Professional Regulation Commission (PD 498).

The government’s effort would have been in vain if the academic world remained

tacit. The remarkable concerted efforts of Medical Technology administrators paved the

way for further advancement of the Medical Technology education as both the Philippine
 24

Association of Medical Technologists (PAMET) and the Philippine Association of

Schools of Medical Technology and Public Health (PASMETH) adopted measures to

further the development of the academic and clinical training of would-be medical

technologists. The same organizations conducted annual conventions to update and

further develop the practicing medical technologists who are both in the academe and in

the laboratory.

Republic Act no. 5527 also known as the Philippine Medical Technology Act of

1969 defined the practice of Medical Technology as a profession which aids the

physician in the diagnosis, study and treatment of disease and in promotion of health in

general:

1. Examination of tissues, secretions and excretions of the human body and body

fluids by various electronic, chemical, microscopic, bacteriologic,

hematologic, serologic immunologic, nuclear and other laboratory

procedures and techniques other manual or automated;

2. Blood banking procedures and techniques;

3. Parasitic, Mycologic and Microbiologic procedures and techniques;

4. Histopathologic and Cytotechnology;

5. Clinical research involving patients or human beings requiring the use of

and/or application of medical technology knowledge and procedures;

6. Preparation and standardization of reagents, standards, stains and others,

provided such reagents, standards, stains and others are exclusively for

the use of their laboratory;

7. Clinical laboratory quality control;

 25

8. collection and preservation of specimens

The same act under section two defined a Medical Technologist as a person who

engages in the work of medical technology under the supervision of a pathologist or

licensed physician authorized by the Department of Health in places where there is no

pathologist and who having passed a prescribed course (Bachelor of Science in Medical

Technology/Bachelor of Science in Hygiene) on training and examination is registered

under the provisions of this Act (Rabor, 1998).

Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology (BSMT) Program

The four-year course program’s main goal is to contribute objective and accurate

laboratory data that will aid in the diagnosis of various disease processes. As a

paramedical profession, it includes the following areas: Hematology, Blood Banking,

Immunology and Serology, Clinical Chemistry, Bacteriology, Parasitology, Clinical

Microscopy and Histopathology. These are designed to develop students’ capabilities in

performing laboratory tests designed to help the medical practitioner establish or confirm

clinical diagnosis, or aid in making a differential diagnosis that will ultimately influence

the management of the patient (CAMP College Bulletin, 2000).

The subject areas for the academic and clinical training of Medical Technology

graduates include Clinical Chemistry 1 & 2, Microbiology, Parasitology, Hematology,

Serology, Blood Banking, Clinical Microscopy, Histopathology and Medical Technology

Laws and Ethics. The course descriptions of the subject areas enumerated are as follows:
 26

Clinical Chemistry I – Pure Blood Chemistry

The course includes the application of basic chemistry principles to the analysis of

various chemical metabolites in blood. The subject deals with basic procedures,

principles involved, instrumentation and interpretation of the basic blood chemistry

procedures. It also deals with the intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting the

determination.

Clinical Chemistry 2 – Endocrinology and Toxicology

The course includes the study of clinical enzymes, electrolytes, endocrine glands,

hormones and the most common toxins with regard to their specific characteristics,

classifications, measurement and factors affecting enzyme-reactions, their clinical

significance and the methods used in their determination.

Microbiology

The subject includes study of microbes, which includes bacteria (Bacteriology),

viruses (Virology), and fungi (Mycology). It deals with the basic structure and

characteristics of microbes, such as morphology, biochemical and physiological

characteristics. Knowledge of the classification and medical significance as to the

pathogenesis of disease is included. It also deals with their role in infection and

immunity. Emphasis is made on their isolation and identification as an aid to laboratory

diagnosis of patients.
 27

Parasitology

The subject emphasizes the study of the biology and ecology of parasites affecting

man. It also includes the study of the morphology, life cycle, physiology and

pathogenesis of the parasites affecting man.

Hematology

This course deals with the fundamentals of blood as a tissue, including its

physical characteristics. The mechanism of coagulation as the underlying basis of

understanding and properly applying all laboratory tests associated with coagulation

defects. It also deals with the proper techniques of peripheral blood collection, marrow

tissue, splenic and lymph node specimen, also morphology of blood cells and mechanics

of hematologic procedures associated with the diseases, abnormalities of red cells and the

necessary corrections.

Serology and Immunology

The course deals with the study of antigen and antibody reactions as applied to the

human body in both normal and in disease conditions. It also tackles the procedures and

methods for detection of antibodies, antigens, or antigen-antibody complexes in normal

individuals and in various diseases.

Blood Banking

The subject deals with the study of the fundamentals of blood group specific

antibodies and antigens, mechanics of blood typing and crossmatching, Coomb’s test,

detection of antibodies and measurement of titers, as well as the proper way of reading

and reporting results. It also deals with certain screening tests done on prospective

donors for blood donation, techniques in bleeding, proper labeling, storing and disposal
 28

of blood donor. It includes blood component preparation in order to meet specific

demands of blood transfusion. It emphasizes the selection of high quality blood in order

to protect the recipients as well as donors.

General Pathology and Histotechniques (Histopathology)

The course deals with the various factors affecting man on al morphological and

histological level. It is also the laboratory diagnosis of diseases. It also involves the

different procedures performed in the processing of tissue sections from either biopsy or

autopsy, and staining techniques employed and the proper procedures in performing

them.

Clinical Microscopy

The subject deals with the macroscopic, chemical and microscopic study of the

different non-blood body fluids and their by products such as urine, feces, sputum, gastric

and duodenal contents, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, transudates, exudates, sweat,

seminal fluid, vaginal fluid and amniotic fluid. Macroscopic examination includes

description of the physical characteristics of different specimens employing basic senses.

Chemical examinations involve the detection of the presence of elements not normally

present or absence of elements normally present in body fluids and their clinical

significance by using different chemical tests like colorimetric, turbidimetric, titrimetric

and gravimetric tests. The microscopic study involves the closer inspection of the

sediment or solid elements contained in these fluids. Automated and chromatographic

procedures and techniques are also discussed to familiarize the students to modern

knowledge.
 29

Medical Technology Laws and Ethics with Laboratory Management

The course includes the study of the history of the Medical Technology profession

both local and abroad, history of the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists,

Philippine laws, Presidential Decrees in relation to the practice of the Medical

Technology profession, such as the Medical Technology Law of 1969, R.A. 6138, P.D.

1534, Clinical laboratory law, Blood Banking law, letters of instructions, Administrative

Orders from the Ministry of Health, also the study of the Medical Technology Code of

Ethics, and Laboratory management, Laboratory Operations, Personnel Management,

Material Management and Professionalism.

Medical Technology Internship Program

The Medical Technology Internship Program provides the training for the

development of medical technologists who possess the knowledge, technical skills and

attitude to perform scientific laboratory investigation in aid of diagnosis treatment and

research required in health care delivery in the country and the global community (MT

Internship Manual AY 2000 – 2001).

The internship program strives to fulfill the following objectives:

1. To prepare the interns as responsible future professionals and become effective

partners in the delivery of health care services.

2. To equip the interns with technical skills and manual proficiency through

observation and actual performance of different laboratory procedures and

examinations.
 30

3. To provide scientific principles and specialized knowledge to perform testing

procedures in the field of diagnostic laboratory.

4. To instill in the interns a high degree of professionalism, love of learning and

pride in the chosen course.

The Internship Program entails actual exposure of the Medical Technology inters

at the Angeles University Foundation Medical Center, laboratory Department and other

accredited laboratories in Medical Centers where affiliation is established.

The interns undergo twelve (12) months of comprehensive rigorous hands-on

training in the various sections of the clinical laboratory. They rotate in the different

sections of the laboratory for a prescribed period of time, where they perform actual

laboratory work under the supervision of licensed and experienced Medical

Technologists. The actual performance of laboratory tests develops and perfects their

technical skills in the field of clinical laboratory. The theoretical knowledge acquired in

the basic and clinical year helps the interns understand disease processes in relation to

laboratory or diagnostic medicine.

The Medical Technology interns acquire a final grade from each of the affiliation

centers after the rotation period and after all the requirements have been fulfilled. This

final grade shall be computed by the Clinical Internship Coordinator and submitted to the

Dean of the College of Allied Medical Professions, Angeles University Foundation.

Separate grades are given for Internship I and Internship 2.

 31

Internship 1

It is the first phase (first six months) of internship training for 4th year Medical

Technology students. Rotation in the different sections namely: Hematology, Blood

Banking, Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, Clinical Microscopy, Parasitology,

Histopathology, and ECG, EEG, is undertaken by the interns within a prescribed period

of time. During the rotation, they are made to do actual laboratory work under the

supervision of licensed and experienced Medical Technologists. The actual performance

of laboratory tests will develop and perfect their technical skills in the field of Clinical

Laboratory. Community service is also rendered by the interns to develop awareness of

their responsibilities towards society.

Internship 2

This is the second phase (last six months) of internship training. The interns

rotate in the different sections of the clinical laboratory as specified in Internship 1. The

interns undergo the same comprehensive, hands-on training in another hospital. The

purpose of this is to maximize their exposure to the various methods, procedures and

apparatuses utilized in the laboratory.

In addition to the clinical training of the fourth year BSMT students, the course

curriculum also placed Seminar subjects with six placement units.

Seminar 1
 32

Lectures are conducted every last Saturday of the month by Resource Speakers

who are highly specialized in their respective fields. This is done to update and review

the interns on their theoretical and clinical knowledge in the various laboratory sections.

Comprehensive examinations are given after every seminar and is complemented by the

continuing lectures, quizzes, oral and practical examinations given by the clinical

Internship Coordinators during weekly visits to the Affiliation Centers.

Seminar 2

Lectures are conducted every last Saturday of the month by another set of invited

Resource Speakers to update and review the interns on their theoretical and clinical

knowledge in the different laboratory sections. Comprehensive examinations are given

after every seminar and is also supplemented by the continuing lectures, quizzes, oral and

practical examinations given by the Clinical Internship Coordinators during weekly visits

to the Affiliation Centers.

Medical Technology Board Examination

The primary objective of the professional licensure examination is to obtain valid

and reliable information as to whether examiners possess the technical competence

required for admission to the profession. Technical competence includes technical

knowledge, the ability to apply such knowledge skillfully and with good judgment and an

understanding of professional responsibility. (Resolution # 338 Series of 1994 Art. I Sec.

I)
 33

Article I Section 2 of Resolution no. 338 series of 1994 states that the

examination should test whether a candidate merits the minimum standard of technical

competence expected of a newly qualified member of the profession. A relatively

uniform standard should be established and consistently followed to ensure the reliability

of examination results. Sections two and three of the above-mentioned resolution sets the

nature and difficulty of board examination questions. It emphasized that technical

knowledge that is currently relevant to the profession concerned, and adequately

discussed in textbooks and other professional literature. Trivial, outdated, unsettled, and

controversial questions should be avoided. Section three of the resolution mentioned that

the examination should measure technical competence at the level of new entrants to the

profession. Questions should neither be too easy nor too difficult. Between two

extremes, a “ difficulty scale” should be adopted so that there is a suitable mixture of

“easy”, “moderate”, and “difficult” questions.

The last two sections of Article I of Resolution no. 338, expressed that

examination questions should not be limited to merely recalling memorized information

to provide sufficient “depth” and a meaningful measure of technical competence. The

section further stressed that it should include adequate tests of higher cognitive abilities

such as comprehension, interpretation, application, analysis, problem solving and other

higher order thinking skills. The last section declared that each subject should have an

approved syllabus, which must be harmonized with the curriculum in the undergraduate

level. The examination question/problems shall be confined to topics listed in the

syllabus for each subject.

 34

To meet such objectives the Board of Medical Technology, a regulatory board

under the Professional Regulation Commission, shall jointly have charge over the

conduct of the examinations given by former according to the rules and regulations

stipulated under Section 19 Article III of P.D. 223.

The same board in January 17, 1994, resolved to revise Board Resolution No. 02,

S. 1994 by adopting the revisions and/or changes incorporated and indicated by the

underscored or underlined topics or items including the weight in percent in the revised

guidelines appended to the Resolution no. 15 series 1996 as Annex A. The resolution

indicated the weight of following board subjects: Hematology = 20%; Microbiology and

Parasitology = 20%; Clinical Chemistry = 20%; Blood Banking and Serology = 20%;

Clinical Microscopy = 10%; and Histopathologic Techniques & MTLE = 10%.

Combined subjects like Microbiology and Parasitology shall constitute 70% and 30%

respectively. Blood Banking and Serology shall each constitute 50% of the exam and

Histopathology allotted 85% while MTLE 15%.

In order to pass the examination, a candidate must obtain a general average of at

least seventy-five (75) percent in the written test with no rating below fifty percent in any

of the major subjects; provided, that the candidate has not failed in at least sixty percent

of the subjects computed according to their relative weights.

The Board of Medical Technology shall establish test banks for all licensure

examinations, which shall be set up using computer facilities and specially authorized

computer expert personal of the Professional Regulation Commission. The questions to

be deposited into the test bank should categorized according to (1) topic or concept in the

approved syllabus for the subject; (2) level of difficulty: easy, moderate and difficult; (30
 35

cognitive level; memory; comprehension, interpretation, computation, application,

analysis, problem solving, and other high order thinking skills or abilities; (4) knowledge

and proficiency level; and (5) question types – objective, essay, problem solving, or

design/drawing – shall have four (4) items for the choice of one (1) correct answer. The

questions for each category must be represented of the mass. Every question shall be

fully edited to avoid clerical error. A test construction expert shall appraise it, if

necessary, as to clarity, objectivity, validity, relevance, reliability, and effectiveness. It

shall be specific calling only for one definite correct answer. (Resolution # 338 Series of

1994 Art. II Sec. 8)

At least five hundred (500) test questions/problems shall initially be deposited in

the Test Bank by each Board Member of each of his /her assigned subjects. At each

subsequent examination he/she shall deposit at least three hundred (300) additional

questions in the Test Bank until it shall reach the ideal level of three thousand (3,000)

questions/problems. Based on a problem, questions extracted or drawn from the Test

Bank to be used in each examination subject shall be representative in each topic in the

syllabus to ensure a comprehensive and balanced coverage and categorized according to

the level of difficulty – easy, moderate and difficult. No single topic or topics shall

receive undue weight in the examination. Two (2) sets of differently arranged questions

shall be drawn and assembled in an encrypted disk before printing. (Resolution # 338

Series of 1994 Art. II Sec. 9 – 10)

The licensure examination shall be given on the first Saturday and Sunday of

September or as otherwise specified by the Board of Medical Technology of the

Philippine Regulation Commission. Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology/Parasitology and

 36

Hematology are given during the first day of the exam in the same order while

Serology/Blood Banking, Clinical Chemistry and Histopathology/MTLE are scheduled

on the last day of the examination in the same order as presented in this text.

Medical technologists have earned a baccalaureate degree program from college

or university recognized by the Commission on Higher Education, including clinical

internship in a training laboratory accredited by the Bureau of Research and laboratories

of the Department of Health and have passed the licensure examination administered by

the Board of Medical Technology of the Professional Regulation Commission.

Under PRC #223 Article III, Sec. 1, before an applicant for admission as a

professional may be admitted to the first subject of the licensure examination he is

applying for, he must on the first day of examination possess all the qualification

prescribed by law and the rules and regulations for the said examination.

Every applicant for examination must be a Filipino citizen, in good health and is

of good moral character, must have completed a course of at least four years of Bachelor

of Science in Medical Technology or Bachelor of Science in Public Health conformed by

recognized school or college (R.A. # 5527).

RELATED STUDIES

There are a number of studies, both local and foreign, related to the investigation.

Foreign

Taylow et al, cited by Cabalu (1995), attested that “ scholastic general percentage

average and scores from intelligence in achievement test batteries are no accurate
 37

predictors”. They suggest that the usual psychological measures of motivation interest

and personality of student nurse contribute little to the predictor of success or failure.

Myers as quoted by Dela Cruz (1999), considers school attainment of works by

the pupils as an important measure of pupils’ intelligence. The results of this study on

nursing students reveal a positive correlation between the two variables of attitude or

mental ability and achievement.

Voh (1970), determined the validity of the college qualification test as a predictor

of first year college success for freshmen in a teacher education program and revealed

that: (1) the junior high school index was but a single predictor of college grades and the

college qualification test was the next best simple predictor, and (2) the independent

variables were only capable of predicting college success on the basis of what had been

produced in the past. Some of the critical factors and motivation are, therefore, not

assessed.

Rulz, Thurston and Poschede as referred to by Cabalu in 1995, investigated

certain personal characteristics of graduates of nursing school from Topek, Kansas in

1963 as they relate to performance in their licensure examination. They found out that in

general, the graduate potential as gauged from her relative rank in the graduating class

was the most reliable product of success.

LOCAL

Dela Cruz, Shirley et al. PT student of AUF conducted study entitled

“Determinant of the Board Examination Performance of AUF PT Graduates. Batches ’96

 38

and ’97: Implication to AUF PT Education.” Their study showed that academic

performance was found to be a significant determinant in the Board Examination of

Batch ’96 and ’97. The researchers recommended that a greater emphasis be placed on

the academic performance and pre-board examination preparations. The group found out

that clinical performance is a significant determinant in the board examination

performance; thus, the internship program must be enhanced to facilitate continuation of

the learning process.

Their study is similar to the present research investigation in terms of the research

locale. It is also similar in the sense that the board examination performance of the

graduates was the focus of the study. However, it differs from it in terms of the subjects

of the study and the determinants used to predict board examination performance.

Further, unlike the aforementioned study, the present research did not consider pre-board

examination preparations of the graduates.

Alabata as cited by Gaddi (1986), made a correlational study on the “Academic

Achievement, Nursing Aptitude and Board Examination rating of Nursing Graduates of

Philippine Union College.” She found out that academic achievement cannot be used as

valid criteria in predicting success in the board examination rating which led her to

conclude that the aptitude test result cannot be a used as a predictor of success in Nursing

Board Examinations.

The abovementioned study is similar to the study at hand since both focus on the

board examination performance and academic ratings of graduates. They differ in the

aspect of target population. The previous study dealt on Nursing graduates while the

study at hand dealt with Medical Technology graduates. Moreover, the present study did
 39

not consider achievement tests of graduates as a determinant of board examination

performance but rather focused on academic, clinical and seminar ratings.

Domingo Fontanilla as referred to by Gaddi conducted a study at the University

of Santo Tomas, College of Nursing for the School Year 1971-1972. The objective of the

study was to determine the correlation between the college freshmen’s mental ability,

aptitude for nursing to their academic success. The study showed significant correlation

between college freshman grade average and the following: 1) aptitude for nursing

overall score, r = 0.51 less than 0.01 2) mental ability, 4 = 0.43 less than 0.01 3) over all

multiple correlation ranging from 4 - 0.64 to r = 0.67 using combined effects of aptitude

and mental ability at less than 0.01.

The above-mentioned study differs from the present research investigation in

terms of the locale and target population. Although both studies have correlational

research design, the cited study focused on nursing aptitude than on board examination

performance, which is the focus of the current investigation.

The study completed in March 1995 by Cabalu, et. al., showed that all the

variables of their study have significant relationship indicating that students who

performed well during the first four years of their college also perform well during their

clinical internship.

The aforementioned study differs with the present research investigation since the

former did not look into the board examination performance of the graduates but rather

focused on the relationship of academic performance with clinical internship

performance. Further, the subjects of the study are Physical Therapy graduates while the

present study attempted to determine the predictive value of academic, clinical and
 40

seminar ratings on the board examination performance of the Medical Technology

graduates of Angeles University Foundation.

Cruz, Rustico (1986) compared the academic achievement and National Entrance

Admission Test (NEAT) scores of private and public school graduates. It also determined

the relationship between academic achievement of the graduates and their NEAT scores.

The study proved that Science and HEKASI have predictive value in the NEAT and that

private school graduates performed better than their public school counterparts.

It can be seen that both studies dealt with predictive values. However, they differ

in terms of the subjects, research locale and variables whose predictive values were

determined. Further, the present study did not attempt to compare ratings of graduates

from different schools, which the previous study did.

Dr. Gaddi (1986), explained in her dissertation entitled that the mean performance

in the board examinations of the schools with maximum admission requirements is higher

than the mean board examination performance of schools with minimum admission

requirements. Schools A, B, C, and D have a mean of 81.38%, 80.38%, 80.12% and

78.07% respectively. Schools E, F, G have a mean board examination performance of

74.33%, 75.1% and 78.0%% respectively. Her study also affirmed that admission ratings

are significant for they are predictors of success in board examinations and clinical

internships.

The aforecited work is similar to the present study since both dealt with predictive

values of certain variables on board examination performance. The two studies differ in

the subjects and the variables, which were correlated. The previous work looked into the

correlation of admission ratings on academic performance and board examination ratings

 41

of Nursing graduates while the present study attempted to determine the predictive values

of academic, clinical and seminar ratings on the board examination performance of

Medical Technology graduates.

Non-intellectual variables were correlated to the academic performance, clinical

performance and nurses’ board examination performance by Gorospe (1986). The

variables included in the study are age, sex, civil status, residence, type of HS where the

student graduated from and religion. The results of the investigation showed that sex,

civil status, religion and type of high school all have predictive value to the academic

performance. Two variables, type of high school and residence, have predictive value on

the clinical performance. Only three variables namely civil status, residence and religion

have predictive value on the nurses’ board examination performance.

Both studies deal with the predictive value of certain variables on the board

examination performance of graduates. However, they differ in that Gorospe’s study

made use of non-intellective variables such as age, status, sex, religion as predictors of

the Nursing graduate’s academic, clinical and board examination performance while the

present study focused on the predictive value of academic, seminar and clinical ratings on

the board examination performance of Medical Technology graduates.

In a study conducted by the CAMP College Research Council headed by Mergal

and Dizon which included 122 graduates who took the board from 1995 – 1998 and 64

from 1999 – 2000.

The group found out that there was significant difference in the board

examination performance of the two groups. The study further proved that the first

group, batch 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998 performed better in the licensure examination
 42

with a mean rating of 77.5%. Assuming equal variances, the T-test for independent

samples showed that the second group composed of MT graduates of 1999 & 2000 did

not perform as well as the other group who took the examination from l995 to l998. This

study is similar with the present one since both dealt with board examination

performance of Medical Technology graduates. The previous study, however, did not

attempt to determine the predictive values of certain variables that may affect board

examination performance, which the present study did.